Variable light interrupting shutter



Sept. 9, 1952 w. R. ISOM ETAL 2,609,725

VARIABLE LIGHT INTERRUPTING SHUTTER Filed Aug, 28, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 $411 955 i/YflPi/UJ IN V EN TOR S.

WK/61w irrae/vi/ P 1952 w. R. lsom ETAL 2,609,725

VARIABLE LIGHT INTERRUPTING SHUTTER Filed Aug. 2a, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 (l/flPPi/V 1?. won 2 .DAlZ/LS 2. Ala paws IN VEN TOR).

Sept. 9, 1952 w, 0M r 2,609,725

VARIABLE LIGHT INTERRUPTING SHUTTER Filed Aug. 28, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 -r lilillllll ll lll lllll ll/HRREA/ R. /f OM Dl-YLLFS R. fl/VDRE J INVENTORS.

A T T ORNEK Sept. 9, 1952 w. R. lS OM EI'AL 2,509,725

VARIABLE LIGHT IN'IERRUPTING SHUTTER Filed Aug. 28, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 AT 701mm.

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 vamaiscnmom:mmanonmo summon Delaware This invention relates to ughtinterruption .shutterseior; motion picture moiecton ,i.and:p 1- "sticularnly for sixteen adapted operate attbotlh silentzand; sound film speeds; namely, at sixteen :irames per, secon :an,d-atktwentyefour.tframes per second, respe illimeter .rfilm proje to :tively.

:Insthe projeotionnf: motion pictures; :two ifac- 'ztors .areimportantauoh as :(1) ,maximumsuni- A formiabri htness on-the robservingrscrecn, :and (.2) eliminationzof'zlight snicker. since silentzfilm is :shown at-itne rate of sixteen"frame cperzs cond, 1a sthreesblade shutt rrlis generally usedisozth :the: machine will not produce a; flicker;ifrequency 1.0!. ;less than the -=esta-b-1ished :mi'nimumuof fortymum screen brightness and-still provide a; flicker irequenoy :of not less than iorty-eighticycles :per .isecond. If. a,three bladeishutteriisiused tats-sound film-speed, the amount ofa ime that li ht-scan -;-pa$s .to the screenwil-l be'zapproximatelytwothirds of the time that light can pass through-a two-blade shutter. This approximate ratio is vp-trueforia shutter with bladesuhavingsa nominal width of seventy two-and--one=half ;degrees.

he Present invention, is directed ,to, a -slf -l tter tmcchanism which will automatically-shift from a thnceeblade shutterform to a two-biadeishiltter :form when the rot tion thereof is'advanced-irom 9.60, revolu ions per: minute, or silent. :filmispee to 149:0 revolutions .permin-ute, or s und film spe dand v ce versa. Thu maximumefilciencv is obtainedia t ibotnspeeds ovithistandard flicker ireguency, a althou h slightly. .lessbriehtness at, silent speed is obtained, -.thisis not regarded .as serious, since most of the filmsspr iccted .for la ge audiences have so nd- The invention is made to occupy ,a smallspace, all e moving parts are under spring tension 'in fboth running positions to eliminate noise and rattle, and the shutter remains in fu'il static balance inboth operating positions. The use of a weight connection =withthe shifting of shutter blades is known in itne' art andevidenced by-U18. PatentNo..*2;349,500 .offMa-y 23,1944, but atheiipresen-t invention-is an improvementthere- 4 s over in several respects.

pr cipal o jec ofltnezinnenti n, therewforei is-to;.f.aci1itate therproiectionof moitionzpic- :tures, particularly when the :same -:proiector 1 is used for both silent and sound films.

' zp ntion of its-.ttail-ing edge removed, as disclosed .2 Another object ro'fvithe invention is to provide ia-nrimpizoved motion picture shuttenwhic'h auto- -imatically shiftsifrom a :threevto atwoi-blade form andwvice versa, :with :the change in the-rate =of zpictureiprojection.

FAIf'uItiheY objectof the invention isto provide .:an:..improved motion picture shutter which will automatically shift blade positions, uwhic'h oc- .cupiesasmallispace, which :provides balanced -'operation in all positions, and which provides-the rsstablishedzminimum flicker frequency at both aspeeds .of, operation.

Althoughitheunovel "features whichare 'believed :ito ibecharacteristic of :this invention will be :pointed .routxavith particularity in the :appended :claims, 1 the :manner of its organization and the 'zmocle ,of its operation wil be ibetter understood -;by referring to thefiollovving' description read in .rconjunction with the accompanying -:dr-awings, ,iforminga partheireoflin which:

1 is :a front, elevational vievvshowing' one 'zmodificationaof-the mechanism of the'invention zinithree-bla'deposition.

Eight-'2 iisearfront, elevational viewof the same shutter of Fig. 1 intwo-blade position.

I'Fig.i?3;ils:aaSideNii-BW of-the-shutter modification 'showninEigs. l iandt2.

Fig-A is :an exploded view of the modification 1.01 the, shutter-shown linisfiligso land 2.

Fig. .6 is a front, ,elevational view of a-nother :modification of :the mechanism of the invention xin-zthnee-blade position.

:Eig. '7 isza .tront, elevationaiview of the'modirficaitionishown in .Fig. :6 .in two blade position.

.Fig. 8'iis;a side view of the modification of the zinventionxshown in'Fligs. '6 -and7.

Fig. 29 is :an exploded. vieW of the modification :shown =in Eig.--6,=an'd Fig. "104s a partial view taken along the'line l-U--l-0-of'Fig.-8.

Referring now to the drawings, inywhich "the same numerals, identify like elements, andparticularlyireferrins to Fi s. 1 1105, inclusive, the shutter of this modification has a cover blade 5 .and interrupter blades v Land I, interrupter blades-6 having a certain portion of'its leading edge removed, and interrupter blad 1 having: a

,and ,Qlaimedincopending application, .Ser. No. fiifioizifiledadiugust 20,:1948. Thethreeublades 5x5; and hanendapted to besmounted on a 's-haift xliiihezoover blade 15 being fixedly mounted on ioneside ;of;theocoJ1arirl0, and .thel bladesfi and: 1

being mounted for limited rotation on the shaft 9 on the other side of collar It.

By reference to Fig. 4, the method of assembling and the relative positions of the various elements of the shutter are shown. A sliding weight l2 has a curved head and notched ears l3 and M and a pin It, the weight being adapted to be positioned on the shaft 9 between the blade 6 and collar l9. through a radial notch I! in the collar. l9, and the projections or ears i9 and 29 of blades and 1 are adapted to be inserted in the notches ofthe ears l3 and M. The pin l5 also passes through an elongated slot 22 in the cover blade 5, this blade being fixedly attached to the collar It] by means of screws 24 passing through curved slots 25 and into threaded holes 25 in th collar I 9. The slots 25 are for the purpose of adjusting the cover blade 5 with respect to blades 6 and '1 to provide minimum ghost efiect.

After the sliding weight l2 and blades 6 and I are arranged on the shaft 9, gear 28 is attached to the shaft, in any suitable manner, such as by a 'spring 30 having its ends hooked into holes 3| in the cover blade and its center point attached tothe mid-point of the arc of the head of the weight I2.

The above shutter operates by centrifugal force acting on the blades and particularly on the weight l2. That is, as the weight [2 is moved radially from the shaft 9 by centrifuga1 force, the interrupter blades 6 and l are pulled together to an overlapping position, as shown in Fig. 2, overcoming the spring tension in spring 35. They are pulled together bythe projections l9 and 20 in the slots of ears I3 and it being moved with the weight, thus rotating the blades 6 and l in opposite directions on the shaft 9. Furthermore, the shifting of the weight I2 balances the shutter in its two-blade position, the weight also balancing the shutter whenit is in the position shown in Figs-l and 5, or three-blade position.

The centrifugal force on a rotating mass W is equal to WR(21rn) where n is the revolutions per second and R is the radius to the center of gravity, this force being increased not only by the increase in speed, but also by the increased radius. This results in an effect which makes the change occur with a snap and with a surplus force to hold the blades in their new position,

this action being advantageous. Thus, although this effect increases tosome extent the difference between the speed at which the weight moves out and the speed to which it is necessary to slow down in order to make it move back, there is suificientdiiference between 960 and 1440 revolutions per minute to provide a comfortable margin. To maintain this margin, friction is reduced to minimum. It will be noted that the spring action is exerted against the weight, not

only in the three-blade position, shown in Figs.

1 and 5, but also in the two-blade position, shown in Fig. 2. This prevents noise and rattle during operation of the shutter. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the interrupter blades, when in the twoblade position, provide the same shape of blade as the cover blade, the position ofthe blades 6 and I being controlled by the stop pins 32 and 33 abutting the shoulders of notches 34 and 35 in the cover blade. The pin I6 maintains the move ment ofthe weight |2 in a fixed radial position. 1,. There isthus provided a shutter which auto matically, transforms itself from a three-blade The pin I5 is adapted to pass" tion is reducedduring actuation of th blade and a more positive action and balance is obtainable, a cover blade 49 is provided along with interrupter blades 4| and 42. This shutter construction has a shaft 44 similar to shaft 9 of the first modification and on which there is a collar 45. In this instance, however, all the blades and the weight are mounted on one side of the collar 45 and a gear 66 with a mounting collar and shaft 61 are provided on the other side of the collar 45. The collar 61 and gear 65 are attached to the collar 45 on the shaft 44 by means 01 screws 69 passing through holes 10 and H and threaded into holes 12.

In this second modification, the cover blade 40 has a pair of parallel slots 14 and a pin 15, blade 4| has a radial slot 16, and blade 42 has a radial slot 11' and a curve slot 18. The weight which shifts the blades and balances the shutter in both positions is shown at 89 and has an elongated slot 8| in which the pin 15 is positioned and a slot 82 which passes over shaft 44. The weight has two pins 84 passing through the ends of the T of the weight on which the ends of a wir spring 85 bear, the spring being wrapped around the shaft 44. The other ends of pins 84 are positioned in the parallel slots 14 and in the radial slots 16 and TI, one of the pins 84 passing through the curved slot 18 in order to be positioned in one of the parallel slots 14. Positioned between the weight 80 and a fastening collar or washer 86 is a shim 81 which permits the weight to slide with the minimum of friction between its two positions controlled by the length of slot 82. Stop pins 89 and 90 on interrupter blades 4| and 42, respectively, are adapted to fit into notches 92 and 93 on cover blade 40 when the shutter is three-bladed, as shown in Fig. 6, and to fit in notches 95 and 96 when the shutter is two-bladed, as shown in Fig. 7.

The operation of the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, is similar to that in the first described modification, in that the weight 80 overcomes the tension of the spring 85 to pull 7 the two blades 4| and 42 to overlapping position,

shutter mechanism.

Both modificationsprovide a desired flicker lcquency of forty-eight cycles per second in both operating positions of the mechanisms,- an increaseof light at sound film speed, automatic control of.) the shift from one position to the other, and a uniform screen brightness at both operating speeds. Although the invention has been described as providingan automatic shift, it is to be understood that it could be accom plished by mechanical or electrical means at'the I time theprojector-is shiftedfrom one speed to another. 7

We claim:

1. A shutter mechanism comprising a shaft, three blades on said shaft, one of said blades being fixed to said shaft and the other of said blades being rotatable with respect to said shaft to both overlapping and non-overlapping positions, a Weight member having an offset slotted portion encircling said shaft, means associated with said fixed blade for guiding the radial movement of said member, means interconnecting said rotatable blades with said weight, member, said means including pin and slot connections between said rotatable blades and said weight member, and tensioning means for biasing said weight member toward the axis of said shaft, said weight element rotating said rotatable blades to overlapping position at a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft, said shutter mechanism being balanced when said rotatable blades are in both said overlapping position and in said nonoverlapping position.

2. A shutter mechanism in accordance with claim 1, in which said guiding means includes a pin on said weight member and a slot in said blade fixed to said shaft, said pin being positioned and slidable in said slot.

3. A shutter mechanism in accordance with claim 1, in which said pin and slot connections include pins on said rotatable blades and notches in the offset slotted portion of said weight member, said pins being positioned in said slots.

4. A shutter mechanism in accordance with claim 1, in which said guiding means includes a pin on said blade fixed to said shaft and a slot in said weight member, said pin being positioned and slidable in said slot.

5. A shutter mechanism in accordance with claim 1, in which said pin and slot connections include pins on said offset slotted portion of said weight member and a slot in each of said rotatable blades in which said pins are positioned.

WARREN R. ISOM. DALLAS R. ANDREWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,464,472 Gibbs et al. Aug. '7, 1923 1,700,513 Porter Jan. 29, 1929 1,965,366 Brown July 3, 1934 2,106,115 Debrie Jan. 18, 1938 2,349,500 Howell May 23, 1944 2,379,129 Wurger June 26, 1945 

